Movies, novels, songs, soap operas...everyone is looking for love, which often seems to be so elusive. The movies, Sleepless in Seattle, The Bridges of Madison County and Titanic are all soulmate stories. "Those are just fiction," you may say, "it will never happen to me!" It does happen, but only in divine timing.

The song of the sixties, What the World Needs Now is Love helped us realize the need for love. The song of the early eighties, Looking for Love, showed us we were looking for love "in all the wrong places;" yet, we have continued that trend throughout the nineties. Hopefully, the song of the new century will be one of finding love in the right places.

Medical science is proving that illnesses and early deaths can be prevented when people learn to give and receive love. In his book, Love and Survival, The Scientific Basis for the Healing Power of Intimacy, Dr. Dean Ornish proposes that "love and intimacy are a root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing." Tina Turner sang, "What's love got to do with it?" Love has everything to do with it!

WHAT IS LOVE?
"To experience the pure essence of unconditional love is our basic purpose for coming to earth," writes Marianne Williamson in A Return to Love. "We experience it as kindness, giving, compassion, peace, joy, acceptance, non-judgment, joining, intimacy." Love is not neediness. "I love you because I need you!" -- WRONG! "I need you because I love you!" -- RIGHT!

Why is love so hard to find? It's simple: 1) we do not love ourselves; and 2) we have not healed the wounds of past love relationships.

Astrology can reveal the qualities each person has for loving himself or herself and for giving love to another. Further study, especially of Venus, Sun and Moon, in the charts of two people shows how easily they can love each other.

WHAT IS LUST?
Lust is chemistry. It is felt almost immediately when two people meet. It usually involves flirting, touching. Something inside you goes, "Boing!" Lust involves the body. A real deterrent to pure love is seeing ourselves only as bodies; when in reality, we are not our bodies...we are a spiritual soul inside a physical body.

Good love will involve good sex. Good sex alone rarely involves real pure love. The danger with lust is that men and women react to it differently. Women "fall in love" with a good lustful encounter, men do not. Men "fall in love" by doing for their woman.

In Astrology compatibility, studying the aspects involving Mars and Pluto indicates lust.

WHAT ARE SOULMATES?
With soulmates, there is an instant knowing, an instant fit, an instant bonding. Soulmates could be separated in a room of 5000 people, but if the time is right for them to come together, they will. When they look into each other's eyes, they do not see eyes -- they see each other's soul. They have come back together from other lifetimes together, to take their love to a higher level.

Soulmate relationships are fun, easy, joyful, and holy. The sexual side is easy and pleasurable, but is only a piece of the "total magnificence." Joan Gattuso, author of A Course in Love, notes that what soulmates have in common is that "their living comes from the heart" (as opposed to coming primarily from the genitals). People can have many soulmates; not all are romantic, but the one common factor is the instant recognition and bonding.

When studying compatibility charts, there will always be positive aspects with the Sun and Moon, North Node and the personal planets, or Neptune with other planets. A Sun/Moon conjunct always 'pulls' two people together.

SOULMATE STORIES:
DAVID and CATHY both had mates who had died. Neither of them was particularly interested in marrying again. Cathy had visions and dreams of this new soulmate who was coming soon into her life. A mutual friend in a distant city told her about David, who at the time was living out of the United States. The friend felt they would be perfect for each other, primarily because they were in the same business. After copious telephone communication, they met and began their lives together, assured that they were soulmates. Their compatibility study showed that they had 80% positive aspects and only 20% challenging aspects. I told Cathy I felt David had a drinking problem and could not manage money well. Time confirmed I was right. Cathy was on the verge of terminating the 'almost perfect' relationship, when David had a terrifyingly traumatic accident, which left him comatose for several weeks. Cathy was able to communicate telepathically with him and he decided to come back and live. The alcohol addiction was gone. Through his slow recovery, their love grew stronger, and they are now living happy, growing, successful lives together.

MAX and BARB met at a bop dance club. There was the immediate "knowing." He told her he had had dreams and visions of her. They had a few dates and within weeks had moved in together and planned their wedding two months later. This was to be a second wedding for both. Their grown children were outraged at the speed of the decisions of their "irresponsible parents". After reading the Wedding Horoscope Event Chart I prepared for them, Barb called in tears, saying, "You have given us the greatest gift...confirmation of our soulmate status, confirmation that our wedding is so right!" Three years later, she tells me how supremely happy they still are.

CLINT and URCELLA were in separate vehicles on the interstate and kept passing each other. They waved and smiled at each other. When Urcella stopped for gas, Clint also stopped and they officially met at the gas tank. He said, "This is really strange, I really like you." They exchanged information and went on their way, planning to meet again in the near future. When Clint arrived back at his office, he was told that his father had died. When I prepared Clint and Urcella's chart, it showed 78% compatibility, and only 22% challenging. I told Urcella this would not be a long relationship because they had been together in marriage during many other lifetimes. It was revealed that Clint's mother (from the other side) had sent Urcella to be there for Clint while he went through the grief and business of handling his father's estate. The relationship only lasted a year, but at the point of meeting they were married (spiritually) just as they had been in other lifetimes. They parted as dear friends, having taken their love for each other to a different plane.

Glenn Key is a metaphysical counselor who has recently relocated to Anchorage. For readings, charts, lectures, and workshops, call (907) 729-0342 or 877-729-0342 (toll-free), write glennkey@alaska.net. or visit www.glennkey.com. See ad for upcoming "Love, Lust and Soulmates" workshop details.